Boston Fern Care and Details: NASA Approved air purifying plant
Boston Ferns are easy to grow ferns that has air purifying qualities. Boston Fern care is very easy and does not require much care. Under right conditions, the plants are disease free and easy to maintain.
Quick Details on Boston Fern Care
| Other Common Names | Boston Fern, Sword fern |
| Type | Indoor/Outdoor air purifying ornamental plant |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Flowering | Does not flower |
| Light | Bright direct sunlight. Intense light or complete shade leads to slow growth. |
| Water | Regular watering |
| Temperature | Warm humid conditions; can survive normal conditions. |
| Soil | Well draining loamy, nutrient rich soil. |
| Fertilizer | Any house plant fertilizer ones in 4-6 weeks |
| Habitat | Tropical regions around the world. |
| Toxicity | No |
| Common Diseases | Leaf drop, scales, brown leaves. |
| Scientific name | Nephrolepis exaltata |
Boston Fern Buying Instructions
- Buy a healthy plant with minimal dry leaves.
- Buy bushy plant.
- There are multiple varieties of Boston Fern to buy of your choice.
- As Boston Fern care is very easy so even beginners can buy it safely.
Overview of Boston Fern
They are perennial plants belonging to Nephrolepidaceae family and native to the tropical regions of the world. They thrive in damp, nutrient rich soil. They can be epiphytes. The fronds are long, broad, with alternate leaflets. The edges of the leaves are serrate. The natural cuts in the fronds make them look ruffles.The rachis bear the spores of the plant. Theyare quite sensitive to chemicals and toxic air.
Special features: They help purify air around them. Boston fern is featured in NASA Clean Air Study and absorbs toxic substances including xylene, toluene and formaldehyde.
Usage and Advantage of Boston Fern
- Grown as an ornamental plant.
- The plants purify air.
Boston Fern Care – General Points
Soil for Boston Fern:
They prefer loamy, organic rich potting mix with good drainage. Choose a mix which contains organic material.Heavy soil stores excess soil and can lead to root rot.
Water requirement of Boston Fern:
Care should be taken while water ferns. They prefer moisture.Water the plants enough to maintain moisture. The soil however should not have excess moisture or soggy.This can be harmful to the plants. Water the plants regularly except for winters. During winters, water them only when the soil becomes dry.
Sunlight needs for Boston Fern:
The grow best under bright indirect sunlight. Intense sunlight can be harmful so place the plants near a north facing window. They can also tolerate partial shade or filtered light. If growing them outdoors, place them in spots with partial shade.
Temperature requirement for Boston Fern:
They prefer warm, humid conditions. The plants grow and thrive when there is enough humidity. The plants can also grow in normal conditions. Do not place the plants in spots with excess heat or cold. Extreme conditions can harm the plants.
Special Care for Boston Fern:
They should be provided with the right amount of water and sunlight. Most of the problems/ stresses seen in plants due to a change in the amount of moisture and sunlight. Repot the plants every year during spring.
Fertilization for Boston Fern:
They do not require much feeding. A normal house plant fertilizer can be applied ones in 4-6 weeks.
Pests and other problems during Boston Fern Care
They are not prone to many diseases. Some of the common pests that an attack a Boston fern are Scales and spider mites. The plants do not tolerate chemical treatments, hence the plants should be checked regularly for any pests and the infected part should be removed immediately to prevent its spread.
Some of the common problems seen in ferns are:
Yellow leaves: This can be natural due to aging or due to exposure to toxic conditions, drought, cold water and excess sunlight
Brown leaves: Caused due to dry air, dry soil, or insufficient watering or over watering. Maintain enough moisture in the air and soil.
Boston Fern Leaf Drop: Mostly caused do to insufficient water.Provide the plants with enough water to recover it from leaf drops.
Propagation of Boston Fern
The propagation is mostly done through division , through baby ferns or through spores.The propagation through spores are not reliable and time consuming. And in most cases the ferns may not produce viable spores.
The most common method is through division. Division can be done while re-potting the plant. Make sure each division has roots. The divisions can be transplanted to a new pot and grown as a separate plant.
The propagation can also be done through ‘baby ferns’ that appear on the runners. The runners are mostly present on the edges of the pot. The baby ferns can be removed from the runners ones they are big enough and can be potted separately.
Click here to view more plants
